Abstract:
Coastal North Carolina is facing a crisis. Small towns up and down the coast are facing
development pressures, population booms, environmental degradation, and loss of the working
waterfront and traditional cultures. The cluster of communities known as Down East is
especially susceptible to these pressures. These communities are unzoned and unincorporated.
Therefore, the Carteret County Commissioners have full decision-making power over the
communities of Down East. My masters project serves as a resource document that will educate
and guide Down East through its fight for sustainable development, environmental restoration
and economic improvement. The necessary information exists, but its not all in one place, its not
easy to find and its hard to understand. This includes information on incorporation, smart
growth, low impact development and economic renewal. Therefore, this guide pulls together all
of the relevant information into one document and includes numerous examples. Information on
current activities involving the problems Down East and on future research possibilities is also
provided at the end of the resource document. Most importantly, the guide is a neutral and
unbiased collection of relevant information. Therefore, I will not be making any
recommendations at the end of the guide. I have simply tried to provide an unbiased summary of
the information necessary for Down East residents to make an informed decision about their
future.
